RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: The relationship between the worst pattern of invasion (WPOI) and the prognosis of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) remains controversial. This systematic review and meta-analysis was performed to determine the impact of the WPOI on the prognosis of OSCC. METHODS: Studies from six databases were assessed for quality using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale, and data were analyzed using Stata software. RESULTS: Eighteen studies involving 3954 patients showed that patients with a WPOI of 4 to 5 had significantly worse overall survival, disease-specific survival, and disease-free survival than patients with a WPOI of 1 to 3. Significant associations of the WPOI with locoregional recurrence and mortality were found. CONCLUSION: A higher WPOI was significantly associated with a worse prognosis of OSCC across various outcomes. Incorporating the WPOI into standard histopathological assessments may guide personalized treatments and improve outcomes.